Game appliance



CII

Fatcnted lec. iti,

" Nllllll STEPHEN KEINER7 'OF LOS ANGELES, CALZEFORNIA.

GAME APPLIANCE.

Application filed November 6, 1922.

To all lwhom t may cmwcrn.'

Be it known that l, .STEPHEN KEINER, a citizen of Austi'ia-llungary Slavonia, haw ing declared my intentions of becoming a citizen ot the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Game Appliance, ot which the tollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an educational game adapted principally to kindergarten use of teachingI young children the rudiments of mathematics, and at the same time interesting and entertaining them.

An object of the invention is to provide a. simple, cheap and harmless appliance it'or use in interesting and educating children. To that end l provide an appliance on which a game can be played that is interesting` and educational to children; and constructed so that a game can be played thereon without the least danger of being injurious to the players. ln kindergarten schools it is especially desirous to have harmless appliances that the very young` children can handle successfully without hurting themselves; and, in addition to interesting them as a mere game to also familiarize them with the rudiments of numbers.

An object of the invention is to provide an appliance on which a. game can be played with results of great uncertainty.' That is, a play can be made with a credit ot zero; or a possible credit of forty-five or more.

An objectot the invention is to provide an appliance on which a game can be played that will interest a large number of players. That is, an 'entire kindergarten class can participate in each play by each oit them computing the results ot the play.

A feature of the invention is shown in the over-balanced runway that-.is actuated into a horizontal pla-ne by the impact ot a ball., the torce of which causes the over-balanced runway to rebound and discharge or cata pult the ball toward the front ot the ape pliance; and in this respect the invention is broadly new, 'basic and pioneer.

fr feature ot invention is shown in the construction, combination and arrangement ot the various parts; whereby the uprights and runways are collapsible so that the parts can be flattened out into a small space for shipping or storing.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the .accompany- Seral No. 599,388.

ing drawing, the subjoined detail description and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention.

Figure l a plan view ol' the appliance with the balls arranged in position to play,

Fig. ln is a side elevation of the applian :e on a. reduced scale showing the runways collapsed and arranged for packing.

Fig. Q is a longitudinal section on line ai?, Fig. l; also showing by dotted lines an altered position of the over-balanced ruir way; also indicating by dot-ted lines the parts in collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is a rear end view ot the appliance.

Fig. l is an enlarged :tragmental sectional view of the lower rear end position ot' Fig. Q; showing by Jull line the over-balanced runway moved from its normal inclinedi position that is indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section on line e, Figs. l and 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged crosssection on line rc, Figs. l and 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged 'fragmental view ot the lower right hand corner portion ot Figs. 2, l showing the runway saddle in detail.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-section on line m8, Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic grouped view ot the player balls; showing them in preferred colors.

The game appliance consists ot' a base l provided with a large forward end in the center of which is arranged a vfield (L on which is placed the ield balls o. c.

rEhe base l is provided with the enclosure wall 2 that extends entirely around the iront and sides ot the. base; and the wall is of a suiiic-ient height to prevent the field balls l), c, and the player balls Z `trom caping from t-he upper surface ot the base l when they are in action` At the rearr orI base l is an end plate r that extends upward a considerable height; and this plate abuts the rear ends oli walls to form complete enclosure around the base l; and it is attached by hinges 3 thereto that it can be folded down toward the base l.

At opposite sides of base l and near the center thereoic are the uprights l to which is secured a cross plate 5. The top end oit plate 3 is reduced in. width and has a recess 6 adjacent to which is fitted the rear ends ot the planks 7, 8 ot the upper runway and these planksI are attached by hinges 7 to the end 3 so that the runway can also be folded down; and also these planks extend over and normally rest onto the cross plate 5 and preferably theuprigh-ts l are of suflicient length to support the planks 8A in an elevated and inclined position, with their forward ends much higher than the rear ones; and planks 7, 8 are spaced apart to forman elongated ball seat 9 between them. The bottom ends of uprights 4, are secured to the` walls 2 by screws et" onev of whichis removable when the uprights are to be folded down as shown in Figs. 1a, 2.

The forward end of the upper runway 9 has a ball starting venclosure 10 into which theyy balls are placed whenV they are, to be played. l

There vis a rectangular opening 11 cut through the end plate; 3 and through this opening is'extenlded the heavy end portion 12ofthe over-,balanced 'runway 13. The end portionl'tof thisbalance. extends outward.v from end plate 3. and normally upward;A and lthere is` an enclosing wall 15 extending ac-ross'the end and. sides of endv portion LLL.

YOn. the underside of the runway 13 is a saddlefl comprising afpivotal surface 0n the underside of the runway; and on opposite sides'of this pivotal surface are contact blocks 18, 19.

The block 18 has a surface 20 that normally engages the inner surface of` wall 3; that is movedA ou-t of Contact with wall 3 wheny the runway is actuated by the impact olf-a player ball that falls from the upper runway 9 onto the end portion lllof lower runway 13.

The block 19 is secured -to lthe bottoml of runway 13 so that normally there is a clearance between its` inner surface and wall 3; and so that this: block is moved 'finto engagement with thefwall when the runway is actuated from 'its inclined position to a substantially horizontal position.

The runway 1,3 is pivotally mounted on the ledge 22 of wall 3 so that when a play/Ter ball fallingfrom the discharge. end of the upper' runway 9v and strikes and forces the end 1A- downward 'the runway 13 will be moved to a horizontal. position; .and move block 19 into im act-ing engagement with the wall 3; and the impacting contact yof. lolockv 19'with wall 3 causes a rebound of the. runway to normal' position; and, alsoI causes the player balldtorebound toward `the front end of the appliance.

' Therunway'13` is constructed so that it can be lifted out of the opening 11 inend 3 andl placed in aliat position over the, folded upper runway as indicated in Figs. 1L and 2.

The field balls c. are arianged` in the field@ in the form of aL hollow square that laysfat a ninety degree anglefto thel'longitudinal vaxis of the base; and in the. center` oft-his square is the ball b and. preferably ball seatsk 23 are formed by slight recessesl in the top surface of basel so that the field balls are not easily displaced by a player ball; and also so they can be easily replaced when knocked out of posit-ion.

At theforwardend of the base 1 there is a rectangular depression 24 that is divided in a number of compartments; 25 thatare adaptedto receive either the player or lfield balls; and these compartments kare numbered from 1 to 9 with. the` numbers arranged with 9 at the center .and the other numbers 2S,v 6, 4;, 2 and 7, 5, 3, 1 at opposite sides of it, see Fig. 2.

Also indicated by dott-ed lines are anunr ber of small counterfieldson*the face ofthe base that are arrangedv adjacent the ball field @into which both the lplayer andfield ball can enter whenv a playfis made; and these fields. are numberedfrom 1`to '12 so that a ball knocked from field o into.4 any one of the surrounding fields or. onto,v any or" the compartmentsy in` depression 2 4 have a counting value. Alsoif desired. any ofthe player balls; entering these fieldscan have a counter value.

Preferably the lplayer balls arev colored red, white and blue as diagrannnatically illustrated in Fig. 9, and also they are -slightly larger than4 any. of the field balls.

Thev field balls can beof anydesired color that will readily distinguish them from the player balls and the center. ball b is larger than. the surrounding balls c.

'Various countinggames can be played; and for the sake of brevity onlyy one will. be given.

Theplayer balls in this game are played in ,the order of red, white. and blue; Vand these balls are .consecutively placed in the enclosure 10 and released: toroll by `gravity down thel runwaylf and fall onto the, tilting runway .13 where aspreviously described the balls are catapulted toward the balls in field a with considerable force; and the field balls are arranged softhat a strike can be made; or so. that all of the field` balls can be displaced by a single play; a. strikehowever, is rarely made. y'

In this game it is'. preferable that the. ball has La.d oulolf. counter value.,and the balls c each a singlecounter. value. That isy if ball?) is. d'i'sfplaeed from. field o. and passes -Y into any ofthe numbered .spaces-or fieldsthe number is douloledy."V That is if-ball-b rolls into space. 2i'tw0uld.count 4, in space 3,`its value lwould bel 6 and: so on. The lother .field balls c have.- the counting value into. Whichever space they pass;Y that is', if a .ball c rolls into space 2 it counts 2 and if lin the 3, l or any other number that is its numerical` value.

.Preferably the red ball` is played fir-St for lull lill;

addition and it and also all the balls in lield a that are displaced and roll into a counter' square are added together to make a first sum. Assuming that this ball is played and it knocks four of the balls c int-o the respective spaces of 2, 4t, 6, 8, and the ball b into the space 9, the first sum would be 38; or the product 2 plus l plus 6 plus 8 plus twice 9.

rThe white ball represents subtract-ion and it is played to displace any of the remaining balls on field ce and the numerical subtracting value of this play depends on the number of balls displaced and the spaces into which they rest. Assuming that three of the remaining balls c together with the white ball enter the respective spaces l, 3, 5, T the sum of these numbers is subtracted from the total 38 or 22.

Then the blue ball is played which represents multiplication. Now assuming that it displaces the remaining ball c and the balls pass into the respective spaces of l and l making a sum of 5 with which to multiply 22 making a total of 110, for the play. Division is accomplished in the game by dividingl the total acquired by addition, subtraction and multiplication by the number of balls remaining on the field 2.

Assuming that the three player balls have been played acquiring a total of 110 with two of the field balls remaining in the square u, then the sum of ll() is divided by 2 mal;- ing a final total of 55.

From the foregoing it can readily be seen that quite a number of gaines can be devised that are exciting and interesting to children which when played enables them to unconsciously and easily acquire the rudiments of mathematics.

I claim:

l. Ojanie appliance comprising a base; an enclosure for the front and sides of said base: an upright plate pivotally connected to the rear end of said base; a runway for balls said runway having its rear end pivotally connected to the upper end of said plate; and a folding support for the forward end of said runway.

2. A game appliance comprising a base; an enclosure for the front and sides of said base; an upright plate pivotally connected to the rear end of said base; an upper runway for balls said runway having its rear end pivotally connected to the upper end of said plate; a collapsible support for the forward end of said upper runway; and a removable tilting runway for balls below said upper runway.

3. A game appliance comprising a base; an enclosure for the front and sides of said base; an upright plate pivotally connected to the rear end of said base; said upright plate having an opening therethrough; a runway for balls said runway having its rear end hinged to the upper end of said plate; a support for the forward end of said upper runway said support adapted to be folded toward said base; and an overhalanced runway for balls extending partly through the opening through said plate, said overbalanced runway arranged so that balls falling thereon will rebound toward the forward end of said base.

l. A game appliance comprising a base having' a top surface and a rear and front end; an enclosure for the sides and front end of said base; a depression at the forward end of said base said depression having a number of numerically indicated compartments; a field arranged at the forward end of said base; field balls arranged in a hollow square on said field with a double value ball in the center of the square; counter fields arranged adjacent the ball field; player balls; an inclined upper runway over which the player balls can pass from the front toward the rear of said runway; means whereby the player balls falling from the rear end of said upper runway will rebound toward the field balls to displace them and drive said field'balls toward the counter fields.

n testimony' whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 28th day of October, 1922.

STEPHEN KEINER.

Witness:

JAMES R. TowNsnND. 

